Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the WTA Madrid match.
The WTA Madrid Open offers a timely opportunity for Liudmila Samsonova to halt a troubling run of form. After three consecutive defeats, she will be aiming to build momentum ahead of Roland Garros, where she reached the third round last year. Caroline Dolehide, meanwhile, is looking to collect crucial ranking points as she works to regain a place in the top 50 following a challenging stretch.
Liudmila Samsonova
Currently ranked 20th in the world, Samsonova is regarded as one of the most talented players on the WTA Tour. In 2025, she won nine of her 18 matches, with a quarter-final showing at Indian Wells and a semi-final appearance in Adelaide among the highlights. She has picked up notable wins over Emma Navarro, Daria Kasatkina, and Jasmine Paolini. Since the start of 2023, she holds a 10–10 record on clay. Last season, she earned clay-court victories over the likes of Barbora Krejcikova, Magda Linette, Beatriz Haddad Maia, and Amanda Anisimova.
Caroline Dolehide
Ranked 71st, Dolehide has played just 13 matches in 2024, winning seven. At the clay-court event in Charleston, she secured a convincing win over Elisabetta Cocciaretto before losing in straight sets to Madison Keys (3:6, 6:7). In Madrid, she opened her campaign with a straight-sets win over Elina Avanesyan (6:4, 6:4), though her first-serve performance was shaky, winning just 56% of those points. Across her three clay matches this year, she has not surpassed a 63% success rate on first serve.
Liudmila Samsonova vs Caroline Dolehide Prediction
Liudmila Samsonova appears better prepared for the clay-court season and has shown she can perform consistently on the surface. Caroline Dolehide has yet to make a major impact in 2025 and failed to convince in her opening match in Madrid. Given Samsonova's stronger track record and recent wins over high-calibre opponents, she is expected to progress beyond Dolehide with relative ease.
